Knapsack-supporter



- UNITED STATES Armer `rrrCE.

ADAM DICKEY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

Kar/LavenoK-suPPOFri-EP..lA

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 46,886. dated March 21, 1865.

.To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ADAM DrcKEY, of Cincinnati, Hamilton county, Ohio, have invented a new and useful article of manufacture which I call a Knapsack-Supporter; 2 and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference bein g. had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification. 'y

The'object of-my invention is to relieve the' soldier of the backward pulling stress upon the shoulders caused by the knapsack, as now carried, and which is well-known to necessitate a stooping and contracted posture that. operates to cramp the viscera and to greatly aggravate the fatigue of marching and to en taildiseases of various kinds on the wearer. N

y. my present invention l propose to relieve vthe wearcrs shoulders of the major portion and, if necessary, of the entire weight ofthe k napsack 'and contents, and to enable the soldier to stand perfectly erect by transferring the weight from the shoulders to the hips.

Figure l is a perspective view of my supporter viewedY from the rear. Fig. 2 shows a part of aknap'sack exhibiting the place and manner of attachment.

A A show two similar curved bands or plates of -steel slotted `at a to receive two guide-pins, B B', and a .tightening-screw, C, which devices, while holding the two members snugly together, enable their mutual adjustment so as to elongate or shorten the.entire piece and to enable its adaptation to men'of diii'erent sizes. Each band terminates in front in a recurved lip, a', carefully shaped to firmly grasp the hip bone without interfering with the viscera at that part. These' lips may, it desired, be padded.

The two bands, A A', with their above-describedaccessories, I call the saddle7 D.

Firmly pivoted, G, to the bands A and A", immediately over the hips, are two other bands, which may be also lflat plates of steel', E E. The `bands E E are curved so as to pass snugly around without touching the back of l the wearer. These bands, which l call the standards, each consist of two pieces or members capable of being slid out or in upon-each other, and of being flxed to any given adjustment by precisely similar means to those described lor the saddle, and which are therefore Both standards are slotted, 'e, near their upper ends to receive turn-buckles F E', or other projections, which lare to be back upper part of the knapsack. i

It isfintended that the saddle D, after once being set to the proper dimension for the wearer, shall require no further adjustment, its elasticity enabling the lips ato be easily slipped around the persons waist. n

1t,is also intended thatl the length of the slots e and the elasticity of the standards E E shall be such as, inconjunction with the hinged connections G, to perm it perfectly unrestrained motion ot' the bodyin every. direction.

When employed for large numbers of men, the above-described accoutcrmeut may be materially simplified and at the same time re duced in weight by wholly or partially omitting the feature of adjustability, a suiiicient diversity of sizes being provided to lit every person.

This accouterment is intended-to be used with the customary regulation knapsack, which may have its usual complement of ADAM DIOKEY.

Witnesses z GEO.. H KNIGHT, JAMES H. LAYMAN.

correspondingly lettered in the illustration.

provided upon Athe straps, which straps willact in cooperation 

